


Who We Are

by whitehorsetiger



Series: When we're together [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien AU, Altean Lance (Voltron), Bottom Keith (Voltron), Established Relationship, Ex-slave Keith, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Top Lance (Voltron), love and care
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 17:56:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15712188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitehorsetiger/pseuds/whitehorsetiger
Summary: Keith was very unsure and hesitant with their relationship, although Lance was also probably being overly cautious, worried that Keith wouldn’t tell him if he was uncomfortable. Lance was well aware that Keith was terrified of being sold on or dumped on a different planet. So, even though Keith got frustrated at being coddled, sometimes it was necessary.Lance looks back over the start of their relationship, as he plans to take a big step with Keith.





	Who We Are

**Author's Note:**

> I would recommend you read [Flowers of the Palace](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15009653) before reading this one...it's not necessary if you don't want to...

Lance blinked awake slowly, stretching out and humming at the feeling of silk sheets against his body. Fingers trailed over his chest, reaching up to scratch at his collarbone.  
“You awake?” Keith purred from his side.  
“Maybe,” Lance mumbled, “I don’t have much incentive though.”  
The fingers walked their way up Lance’s chest, smoothing over his neck to run over Lance’s cheekbones. A kiss was pressed to Lance’s altean marking, then his nose, then his lips. Lance blinked his eyes open, meeting Keith’s yellow and purple ones.  
“Hey,” Lance said softly.  
“Hey,” Keith replied, “We need to get moving.”  
Lance groaned, stretching and arching his back.  
“You’re the one who wanted to go,” Keith mumbled.  
“I did,” Lance said, ducking out of Keith’s arms to land on the floor, “So we’d better get moving.”

****

It was very rare that any of the freed slaves had any spirit left, any sense of self. There were several rules to had to abide to when dealing with them to make sure they were as happy as possible. You also had to be careful to not pressure them into anything, it was very easy to do unintentionally.

When he realised he had feelings for Keith, Lance was cautious to act on them. Even though Keith could be fiery, could be stubborn and seemed to have much more spirit than the other slaves, it changed little. Keith would still sometimes do things he didn’t really want to do, even after a couple of deca-phoebs he struggled with saying no. When Keith confessed though, Lance wasn’t going to lie.

Keith was very unsure and hesitant with their relationship, although Lance was also probably being overly cautious, worried that Keith wouldn’t tell him if he was uncomfortable. Lance was well aware that Keith was terrified of being sold on or dumped on a different planet. So, even though Keith got frustrated at being coddled, sometimes it was necessary.

Lance tapped lightly at the screens in front of him, eyes flicking over the words as they scrolled quickly past. There was a lot of information scrolling past at a very rapid rate, Lance was used to it and more than capable of taking it all in. If they were going to form a new alliance, Lance needed to know as much information about the planet.

The door behind him slid open, footsteps sounding across the floor. Lance turned to see Keith making his way towards him. His ears were slightly drooped and his eyes were focused on the floor.  
“Hey,” Lance smiled lightly, “What’s up?”  
“Sorry to disturb you,” Keith said softly.  
“Don’t worry about it, I was just looking through information on the Lubora,” Lance said, gesturing to the screen.  
Keith moved over to stand beside Lance, ears and head perking up.  
“That’s the planet you’re heading too in a movement right?” Keith asked, eyes scanning the screen.  
“Yup,” Lance said, reaching up to flick through the information again.

Keith let out a long breath, Lance kept his eyes on the screen he didn’t want to scare Keith off whatever he was trying to psych himself up for. Lance jumped slightly as a warm hand rested in his, fingers curling around his hand. Smiling, Lance shifted his hand to intertwine their fingers.  
“Hunk said he’s made some of your favourite pastries and you should come get some before Pidge eats them all,” Keith said softly.  
“He did!?” Lance said brightly, smile breaking over his face.  
“Um…yes?” Keith tilted his head to one side.  
Lance whooped, causing Keith to jump slightly before he smiled.  
“Come on then!” Lance said.  
He switched off the screen and whirled around, using their conjoined hands to pull Keith from the room. The half-galra didn’t seem to mind this, a soft smile on his face.

****

Lance darted around the bedroom, hurriedly getting ready for the day. Keith hadn’t even moved from his place on the bed, watching Lance with amusement written all over his face.  
“Come on Keith!” Lance wined, bouncing up and down, “We need to go!”  
“Where are we going?” Keith said, laughing lightly, “You haven’t even told me.”  
“Because it’s a surprise!” Lance said, “Come on! Come on!”  
He grabbed Keith’s hands, pulling him lightly.  
“Alright, alright,” Keith laughed.  
Lance moved away so Keith could get out of bed, moving to walk-in wardrobe where he’d picked out Keith’s outfit for the day. Turning around, Lance’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of a very naked, very attractive Keith in the doorway. He’d been growing his hair out, the fluffy mane falling well past his shoulders, covering broad well-defined muscle Lance couldn’t wait to get his hands on. That could wait though, they needed to get moving and Keith was starting to flush, arms crossing self-consciously.  
“Get dressed then,” Lance smiled brightly, “We have a busy day ahead.”

****

“Please, don’t do anything stupid and get arrested,” Allura said.  
“That was one time,” Lance grumbled, crossing his arms.  
“And we’ll never let you forget it,” Alfor laughed, patting him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry, happens to the best of us.”  
“Really?” Lance said, tilting his head to one side.  
Alfor laughed awkwardly, “No, of course not, that’s never happened.”  
Lance smiled brightly, laughing as Alfor ruffled his hair. Allura pulled him into a tight hug.  
“Just be careful,” she mumbled.  
“I’ll be fine,” Lance scoffed, pulling away, “I’ll see you guys soon.”  
“See you,” Allura smiled.  
“Bye,” Alfor said.

Hunk, Pidge, Keith and Shiro were chatting a little way away, well Hunk, Pidge and Shiro were. Keith was stood slightly off to the side, arms crossed, fingers tensed and ears slightly back. Keeping the easy smile on his face, hoping to relax the half-galra, Lance made his way over. Slowly and carefully reaching out, Lance carefully unfurled Keith’s clenched hands to intertwine their fingers.  
“I’m just going to borrow Keith for a minute,” he said, tugging lightly on the intertwined hands.  
Keith glanced at him, gnawing on his bottom lip with his fangs. Pidge smirked, Hunk grinned and gave him a thumbs up.  
“You go ahead and say goodbye,” Shiro smiled brightly.

Lance pulled Keith a short way away from everyone else, just so they were out of earshot. Keith’s ears had flicked back even more, almost laying flat against his head.  
“Hey,” Lance said softly, squeezing his hand, “You all right?”  
“Fine, I’m fine,” Keith said quickly, “What did you want to tell me?”  
Lance frowned, not completely convinced but he didn’t have time to push the matter in a way that would get Keith to tell him.  
“I have something for you,” Lance said, digging around in the bag by his side.  
Keith’s ears perked forwards with curiosity, hands unclenching slightly.

“Ah hah!” Lance said, hands finally meeting the small rectangular item he was after, “Here.”  
Keith looked down, confused at the item Lance had handed him.  
“It’s a communicator?” Keith frowned.  
“It’s an interstellar communicator, it means we can keep in touch while I’m away,” Lance said brightly, “I’ll call you every night and you can call me whenever you want.”  
Keith’s ear flicked lightly, looking at Lance, blinking.  
“But won’t you be busy?” he asked.  
“I’ll make time,” Lance smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Even if it seems stupid ok? Call me.”  
Keith hesitated, then nodded.  
“Ok,” he said.

Lance jumped slightly as suddenly he had an armful of boyfriend, Keith’s arms draped over his shoulder with his head buried at the base of Lance’s neck. Wrapping his arms around Keith’s waist, Lance squeezed him lightly.  
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Lance said, giving Keith one last squeeze before moving away.  
Keith nodded, his ears more perked and his tail swishing lightly.  
“Be careful,” he said softly.  
“It’ll be fine,” Lance grinned, “They’re pretty peaceful.”  
Keith nodded, stepping back but still with his hands fisted in Lance’s top. He seemed reluctant to let go.  
“I’ll see you soon,” Lance said.  
Keith’s ears drooped, but more sad instead of anxious.  
“Yeah,” he said, “I’ll see you.”

****

Lance hummed to himself, checking through his bag to be sure everything was in there. Yeah, it was all in there. Hunk had messaged him, the ship was all packed and ready to go. Lance smiled, alright, looked like everything was set up. Keith padded out of the bedroom and into the small living area where Lance was sat.  
“So you’re really not telling me where we’re going?” Keith said, tilting his head to one side.  
“Nope,” Lance grinned, walking over to press a kiss to his nose, “But I promise you’re going to love it.”  
“Remember what happened last time you said that?”  
“That was not my fault,” Lance protested, rubbing their noses together.  
Keith hummed, nipping Lance’s bottom lip lightly.  
“Sure it wasn’t,” he purred, stepping back.  
Lance pouted as Keith laughed. Huffing, Lance picked up his bag with his nose in the air.  
“Well, if you don’t want to come,” he said.  
“I need to make sure you don’t get in trouble,” Keith said, slipping his hand to intertwine with Lance’s.  
Lance huffed, but smiled when Keith pressed a kiss to his jaw.

****

Even with the Altean’s natural hardiness, Lance was starting to struggle. There was a huge celebration in their honour, a huge, long celebration. Now, normally this was no problem, Lance loved to party. The issue came with the fact the planet was much smaller than Altea and spun much faster. Lance either couldn’t sleep through the dark times, or couldn’t get enough sleep before they were up and partying again.

Lance was trying desperately to sleep, he was really tired but just couldn’t seem to drift off. He just couldn’t get the thought that he had to be awake very shortly out of his head. Rolling over, Lance reached for his communicator, it wasn’t too late, Keith should still be awake.

It didn’t ring for very long.  
“Hey,” Keith said, ear flicking idly.  
Lance let out a long breath, “Hey, are you busy?”  
Keith raised an eyebrow, shaking his head.  
“No, are you alright?” he asked, tilting his head to one side.  
“Yeah, I’m just tired,” Lance replied.  
Keith made a soft sympathetic noise, Lance just wanted to cuddle him and sleep.  
“Tell me about your day,” Lance said, if he couldn’t cuddle, at least he could hear Keith’s voice.  
“It’s not that interesting,” Keith shrugged.  
“I don’t care,” Lance said, “Just talk, please.”

Keith was very hesitant about it, it took a lot of prompting from Lance, at first. Soon though, Keith seemed to get into his stride. He talked about the interesting things him and Shiro had been up too, going in depth at what Coran had taught him that day. It was nice, hearing Keith enthusiastic about something, it so rarely happened. Lance hadn’t realised he’d been a bit worried about Keith until something unravelled in his chest, causing his shoulders to loosen and his eyes to slip closed.

“Lance?”  
“Mrgbh?”  
“Are you asleep?”  
“No, keep talking,” Lance mumbled, blinking his eyes open.  
Lance was pretty sure his heart had stopped for a moment, Keith’s face had what was probably the softest most relaxed smile ever on it. He just looked so damn happy, a very rare occurrence.  
“I think I’ve told you everything,” Keith said, “We only talked yesterday, tell me what’s happening over there.”  
“Just the same,” Lance shrugged, “They really like their partying, I didn’t know it was possible to have a party this long.”  
Keith’s chuckled softly, flicking his ears lightly. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lance’s alarm went off, making them both jump.  
“Shoot,” Lance sighed, turning it off, “I need to get ready.”  
Keith’s face dropped.  
“I’ll call you later,” Lance said, “I’ll be back soon anyway!”  
He smiled brightly, but he knew it looked rather forced.  
“Yeah,” Keith muttered back, “I’ll see you then.”  
Keith hung up, Lance stared at the blank screen, before sighing softly. Not much longer, he’d be home soon.

****

They clambered into the small waiting ship, they weren’t going very far so didn’t need anything bigger. Keith raised an eyebrow in question, following him into the ship and took a seat. Lance scrabbled in the back for a moment, sifting through the items. He pulled out a long strip of cloth, holding it up for Keith.  
“You alright being blindfolded?” Lance asked.  
Keith bit his lip, fangs poking out. His eyes darted all over Lance’s face.  
“You don’t have to,” Lance said, “I just wanted it to be a surprise.”  
Keith let out a long breath, “It’s alright.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yeah, just, keep talking,” he said, leaning forward.  
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Lance laughed, tying the blindfold over his eyes, “Alright?”  
Keith nodded, reaching up to tug it down a little to rest more comfortably over his eyes.  
“I can’t see a thing,” Keith smiled, although it was a little strained and nervous.  
“That’s kind of the point,” Lance laughed, tapping the end of Keith’s nose.  
Keith snapped playfully at his finger, but his smile relaxed and a light chuckle escaped him.  
“Alright then, let’s go,” he said.

****

Lance felt like death, he was so tired his brain seemed to have stopped all function. Hunk had Pidge had only fared a little better, unlike Lance they had been able to sneak away from the party for a little while to sleep. Lance was stood as tall as he could, trying to at least look a little dignified as he stepped down from the ship. He’d managed to get some sleep on the way back, although he had to be awake mostly to wormhole them back. Immediately he was hounded and dragged to the meeting room, he needed to discuss the treaty. Not that there was much to say, but they had to do this properly.

Lance was just about ready to pass out as he dragged his feet back to his quarters. The door opened and, there was Keith, stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.  
“I didn’t want to bother you, with the meeting and stuff,” Keith’s voice was getting quieter and quieter, “So I thought I’d wait for you in here.”  
Lance couldn’t help but stare, mind having gone blank.  
“I can go if you want, I’m sorry, you’re tired aren’t you? I shouldn’t have come here, I should have waited, I’m sorry,” Keith began to babble.  
Lance moved completely on autopilot, stumbling forwards to wrap his arms around Keith. The half-galra tensed and Lance realised his mistake, hugging him without any warning. He was about to pull away, until Keith relaxed and wrapped his arms around Lance’s shoulders.  
“It’s good to see you,” Lance slurred, snuggling closer.  
“Good to see you too,” Keith said.

They stood like that for a little longer, in each other’s arms. Lance squeezed his eyes closed, humming happily.  
“Are you asleep,” Keith said softly.  
“Almost,” Lance mumbled, “We may have to continue this hug later.”  
Lance pulled away, rubbing his eye with a groan.  
“I’ll come find you later?” Lance said, “After I’ve slept?  
Keith nodded, shifting back and intertwining their fingers. He lent forwards, pressing their lips together. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but Lance swore his heart skipped several beats. Keith’s lips were warm, slightly chapped and very inexperienced. Keith pulled away before Lance was really ready for him too.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while, sorry,” Keith mumbled, pulling completely away.  
His face had flushed a darker purple, arms crossed across his chest. Lance reached out, resting his hand gently on Keith’s bicep.  
“Can I kiss you?” Lance asked softly, “Again.”  
Keith blush, somehow, darkened. He nodded, ears perking up and tail swishing. Lance reached out, tilting Keith’s face up. He lent closer, stopping when they were only a breath apart.  
“Ok?” Lance breathed.  
“Ok,” Keith replied, closing the last bit of distance.

The kiss remained soft and chaste, Keith clumsily trying to mimic the movement of Lance’s lips. His fingers had curled on Lance’s shoulders, claws almost digging into Lance’s skin but the altean didn’t mind. Lance kept his hands on Keith’s waist, only moving his thumb up and down over his shirt. Eventually though, he pulled away, pressing a kiss to the bridge of Keith’s nose.  
“I need to sleep,” he mumbled.  
Keith nodded, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.  
“I’ll see you later.”

****

Lance kept up a string of bright chatter as they flew through space, this ship didn’t have a teladuv, they were close enough it didn’t really matter. Keith had a soft smile on his face, head tilted to one side as he listened. Eventually the planet came into view, sparkling slightly in the light of the nearby star. It was a recently new discovery, covered in precious minerals that the local fauna depended on to live. Lance’s eyes scanned the planet, searching for the place him and Allura had been last time they were there. If he’d calculated this correctly, dawn should be breaking soon. His guidance system pinged, there it was.  
“We landing?” Keith asked, the ship rumbling slightly as they broke through the atmosphere.  
“Yep,” Lance said, “Keep the blindfold on.”  
Keith huffed, his hands dropping back to his lap.  
“Come on!”  
“No!” Lance said, “It’s a surprise!”  
He couldn’t see them, but Lance knew Keith was rolling his eyes.  
“Just enjoy the mystery ok!” Lance said brightly, bringing the pod in to land.

****

It was late, Lance couldn’t sleep. His mind just wouldn’t shut up, that and he was getting a bit worried. Keith seemed to be withdrawing again and Lance had no idea why. Normally, he could attribute Keith’s behaviour to an incident, now though Lance was completely lost and Keith seemed unwilling to talk to him. Lance hated feeling it, but it was frustrating. He honestly thought they’d gotten somewhere, Keith was being more open, especially with affection.

Lance headed back to his chambers, maybe he could try to get some rest. He paused at the end of the corridor, someone was in front of his door. There was no way he couldn’t recognise that hair and fluffy ears. Keith’s had was hesitantly raising up and down, looking like he really wanted to knock on the door but was too scared too.

“Keith?” Lance called out quietly, walking towards him.  
Keith jumped, whipping around to look at Lance. His eyes were glowing slightly in the darkness, tail swishing and ears twitching.  
“Lance?” he said, glancing between the door and Lance.  
“Hey,” Lance said, stepping right up to him, “I was just taking a walk.”  
Keith hummed and nodded, Lance thought for a second he was going to bolt. Until his shoulders slumped and ears drooped.  
“I couldn’t sleep,” Keith said, “You said I could come to you, if I needed to.”  
Lance paused for a minute, tilting his head to one side. That was a long time ago and Keith had never taken him up on the offer before.  
“Ok,” Lance smiled, taking Keith’s hand, “Come on then.”

He pulled Keith into his chambers, through the living area and into the bedroom area. Keith seemed hesitant to head into the bedroom area, but Lance squeezed his hand lightly and Keith seemed to gain a little confidence. Lance pulled the two of them over to the bed, sitting himself on the bed and patting the covers next to him. Keith hovered, awkwardly for a moment, twitching slightly. Until he let out a long breath, perching right on the edge of the bed.

“You wanna talk about it?” Lance asked softly.  
Keith shook his head, looking down at his hands in his lap.  
“Ok,” Lance said, resting his hand on Keith’s bicep.  
He gave it a light squeeze, smiling gently at the hald-galra. Keith’s tail twitched, before moving to rest on Lance’s leg, seemingly without conscious thought. They sat in silence for a while, Lance rubbing his thumb up and down Keith’s bicep with Keith twitching slightly beside him.

Eventually Keith shifted to a more secure position on the bed, pressed slightly closer to Lance. He rested his head on Lance’s shoulder, curling his tail around Lance’s back. Taking this as his cue, Lance wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders. He curled in on himself, tucking his head under Lance’s chin. Lance smiled, wrapping both his arms around Keith, cuddling him close. Keith turned, burying his face in the crook of Lance’s neck. He hiccupped, sniffled and a wet patch started to grow across Lance’s shoulder. Keith fingers curled in Lance’s shirt, clinging tight to the fabric. The altean’s hand reached up to knot in Keith’s hair, rubbing at the base of his ears.

Eventually, Keith’s shoulders stopped shaking and his breathing evened out. Lance continued scratching though his hair, the other man lent into his hand so he must’ve been enjoying it. Eventually, Keith pulled away, eyes red and face blotchy. He rubbed at his face hurriedly, more smearing the mess around than wiping it away. Lance grabbed some tissues off the side, offering them.

“I should go,” Keith mumbled thickly, “You need to sleep.”  
Lance reached out and took his hand.  
“We both do, come on,” he said, tugging lightly and moving up to the headboard.  
“What?” Keith said, freezing with wide eyes.  
“Come on, snuggle with me,” Lance smiled, releasing his hand to make his way to the head of the bed.  
He snuggled down under the covers, opening them for Keith to climb in alongside him.  
“What will people think?” Keith asked, ears twitching.  
Lance tried not to sigh, sitting up to look over at Keith.  
“Keith, everyone in the palace already knows we’re dating,” he said, “Besides, who cares what they think, what matters is what we want.”  
Keith still looked very unsure, tail thumping on the covers.  
“What’s important is what you want,” Lance said, “So, do you want to cuddle with me? Sleep here?”  
Keith nodded, crawling over to where Lance was holding the covers open again.

Keith shuffled under the covers, curling up on his side facing Lance.  
“Flip over,” Lance said, “I’ll let you be the lil spoon.”  
Keith looked confused, but did as Lance said. Lance shuffled forwards, pressing along Keith’s back and draping his arm over his chest. Keith tensed for a second before relaxing, practically melting in Lance’s hold.  
“Nice?” he asked.  
Keith hummed, shuffling backwards to press against Lance even more.

****

“Ok, careful, the ground is a bit rough,” Lance said, holding tightly onto Keith’s hand.  
“Great, I’ll just be careful and watch where I’m going,” Keith grumbled.  
“Ha, you’re hilarious,” Lance said, “I could carry you.”  
“No thanks,” Keith said dryly.  
“It’s not much further,” Lance said.  
“Right,” Keith said, stumbling over a rock.  
Lance caught him easily, letting Keith get his feet back under him before they carried on. He tugged them up to the top of the hill. Letting Keith go, he grabbed the padded blanket that should make sitting on the ground much more comfortable. Tugging Keith back over, he sat the two of them down. Lance had timed it almost perfectly, the sun was just starting to peak over the horizon. Reaching up, he untied Keith’s blindfold and pulled it down. Keith blinked, eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. Sunlight hit the crystals at just the right angle, causing them to sparkle and cast rainbows across the ground.  
“Wow,” Keith said softly.

****

Lance reached blindly across the bed, sighing as his hand met with empty air. Right, Keith was on a mission, a dangerous mission. Lance sat up, leaning against the headboard. He’d gotten so use to having another body sleeping beside him, it was kind of lonely without Keith by his side. It looked like he wouldn’t be getting anymore sleep, may as well get ready for the day. He made sure idly to be a little bit more indulgent with his morning routine, humming to himself.

The meeting that day had actually gone all right, everyone’s points were made and agreements were come to. Lance now had the rest of the day to do whatever, it was a rare luxury Lance couldn’t wait to enjoy.  
“Lance!”  
Lance braced himself at the sound of pounding footsteps, a small olkari launching herself to koala onto Lance’s back.  
“Pidge!” Lance shouted, spinning around.  
She laughed, clinging onto him as they span. Another set of much heavier feet sounded down the corridor, Hunk jogging to catch up with the over-exuberant Pidge.  
“We hear you’ve got a day off,” Hunk said excitedly, crushing Lance in a hug, “You’ve been so busy.”  
“Yeah, it’s no fun without your stupid comments,” Pidge said, kicking out her legs.  
“Thanks,” Lance laughed, reaching around to poke her sides.  
Pidge snorted, trying to slap his hand away.  
“We’re going swimming!” she shouted, “Onward!”

Lance sprinted forwards, Hunk shouting his protests behind them. Pidge was giggling loudly in Lance’s ear, clinging tightly to his back. They skidded around a corner, dodging around one of the maids as she carried a bucket.  
“Sorry!” Lance shouted behind him, not slowing down.  
They bounced off the far wall with a pained oof, Lance stumbling slightly but righting himself soon after.  
“Well done clutz,” Pidge snorted, “Didn’t see that massive wall?”  
“I will drop you,” Lance said, “I swear.”  
“Sure you will,” Pidge drawled, “Faster! Faster!”  
She kicked his side with her heels.  
“You’re going to regret that,” Lance said with a smirk.  
She did regret that a few doboshes later when he threw the both of them into the pool, fully clothed.

Hunk, body way to dense, couldn’t swim. Therefore, they had to keep to where Hunk could stand with his head above the water, he was tall though so that was most of the pool. Lance tried not to inhale the water as Pidge and Hunk dunked him under, he was laughing though so it was a bit difficult.

“You’re having fun without me!?” Allura called out from the side of the pool.  
“I was dragged here against my will!” Lance coughed, raising his hand.  
Pidge started protesting loudly, jabbing Lance.  
Allura snorted, jumping in with them.  
“I’ll save you!” she shouted, swimming over to splash Pidge in the face.  
“Oh! It is on!” Pidge said.  
“No! Not the crown princess!” Lance said, charging after her.  
“Hunk!” Pidge shouted, “Even the odds!”  
“Hunk! Buddy! No!” Lance laughed as the balmeran picked him up out of the water.  
“Sorry Lance,” Hunk said, “But I must do this.”  
“Betrayal!” Lance yelled as he was dunked underwater.

****

Keith’s eyes were locked on the scene in front of him, mouth dropped slightly open. Lance couldn’t help but smile at the expression on his face, he liked making Keith look like that. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to Keith’s cheek, causing his ear to twitch.  
“It’s beautiful,” Keith said softly, turning to Lance.  
“I thought you’d like it,” Lance mumbled.  
Keith pushed forwards, to press their lips together. Lance hummed, tilting his head to one side to slot their lips together better. Keith ran his tongue along Lance’s bottom lip, causing the altean to open his mouth so Keith could slip his tongue inside. Keith hummed happily, resting his hand on Lance’s cheek. Lance pressed forward so Keith lay against the blanket.  
“Look at the sky,” he whispered, pulling away.  
Keith made a questioning noise as Lance moved, before staring at the sky. The upper atmosphere had a lot of dust, so the rising sun caused the sky to shine with many different colours.  
“Oh,” Keith said softly.  
Lance hummed, reaching out to hold his hand.

****

Keith was back and Lance was very excited. He practically skipped down the corridor to the hanger, trying his hardest to not look too enthusiastic. He had some dignity. The door slid open with a whoosh, Lance making a beeline over to where the small shuttle had landed. Shiro was stood beside it, catching supplies thrown out to him by the other person in the ship.  
“Lance,” the galra shouted, raising a hand, “Good to see you.”  
Keith’s head poked up from its place buried in the shuttle at the sound of Lance’s name, ears perked up.  
“Good to see you too,” Shiro smiled, grasping Lance’s shoulder, “How’ve you been?”  
“Good,” Lance smiled, “It’s been good, the coalition is thriving and most of the requests are reasonable.”  
 “That’s always a relief,” Shiro chuckled.  
Lance smiled, “Yeah, it’s nice when we’re not jumping through ridiculous hoops for them. How was the mission?”  
“Good, we completed it and no one got hurt. I’d call that a success,” Shiro said.  
A bag suddenly came flying out of the shuttle, hitting Shiro on the shoulder.  
“Keith!” he shouted, “Ow!”  
“Sorry,” Keith drawled, hanging out of the shuttle, “Didn’t realise you were distracted.”  
“Sure you didn’t,” Shiro scoffed, rubbing his arm.  
Keith shrugged, hopping to the ground beside Shiro. The galra reached out to ruffle his hair, laughing.  
“Don’t get too caught up,” he laughed, “Don’t forget you have a debriefing.”  
Shiro wandered off, heading to talk to one of the engineers.

Lance was a bit surprised when Keith wrapped him in a hug, snuggling as close to Lance as physically possible.  
“Missed you,” he mumbled, pressing soft kisses to Lance’s collarbones.  
“Missed you too,” Lance replied.  
He tugged Keith’s face out of the crook of his neck, making him look up so Lance could press kisses all over his face. Keith made soft pleased noises, smiling brightly.  
“You need to go debrief,” Lance said, unwillingly pulling away.  
Keith made a soft noise of protest.  
“Do I have too?”  
“Allura will have my head if you don’t,” Lance said, “Father will just give me that really disappointed look.”  
He shuddered, “I hate that look.”  
Keith chuckled softly, rubbing their noses together.  
“Alright.”  
“I’ll be in my room,” Lance said, pressing one last lingering kiss to his lips, “We’ll spend the evening together.”

Lance hummed lightly as he flicked through the book in his hand, feet tucked under his butt. It was getting late, Lance wondered what the hell they could be talking about for so long. Eventually the door opened and Keith stepped in, tail swishing behind him.  
“Hey,” Lance smiled.  
Keith hovered for a moment, until Lance put his book aside and opened his arms. Keith took rapid steps towards him, clambering onto Lance’s lap to wrap his arms around Lance’s neck.  
“Oh, hello,” Lance said, smiling, “Was it really that bad?”  
Keith grunted, nibbling lightly on Lance’s earlobe, before shifting over to press their lips together.

Lance laid back on the sofa, Keith splayed out on top of him. His mouth was being thoroughly claimed by Keith’s tongue, it was hot and a little gross, but Lance didn’t mind. Keith seemed to be enjoying himself too, rutting down on Lance’s lap, making soft pleasured noises. He pulled away suddenly, panting, pupils blown.  
“I want to have sex,” he said.

Lance did a double take, he said it so bluntly without a hint of embarrassment. Even now he was looking down at Lance with determination while his brain was malfunctioning. They’d dry humped, and jerked each other off, but this would be whole new territory.  
“Are you sure?” Lance asked, reaching out to rest his hand on Keith’s cheek.  
He nodded, leaning into the hand.  
“I do if you do,” Keith said.  
“Ok,” Lance said.  
He sat up, grasping the back of Keith’s thighs before clambering to his feet. Keith made a surprised noise, clinging to Lance’s back. He carried the other man to his bedroom, laying him down on the bed to lean over him. They kissed again, Keith knotting his fingers in Lance’s hair.  
“How do you want to do this?” Lance asked, their lips barely a breath apart.  
“I want you inside me,” Keith whispered, leaning up to press a kiss to Lance’s cheekbone.  
“Are you sure?” Lance tilted his head to one side.  
Keith hummed in affirmation, “I’ve done…some stuff and liked it. I want you inside me Lance.”  
“Ok,” Lance smiled, “Ok.”

Keith bit his lip nervously as his shirt was removed, self-conscious of the scars littering his torso. It wasn’t the first time Lance had seen Keith shirtless, but it still surprised him how completely coated his chest was, especially with the implications. He brushed his fingers lightly over the skin, trying not to focus too heavily on the scars. Keith looked away, cheeks red. Lance lent down, pressing kisses across his chest before sucking a nipple into his mouth. Keith made a surprised, pleasured noise, tail thumping on the bed.

Lance continued his ministrations, making sure every piece of Keith felt loved. Until he reached the ownership brand on his hip. He pressed one kiss there until Keith pushed him away.  
“Not there,” he said, looking away.  
Lance pulled away, moving up so they were face to face.  
“You alright?”  
Keith nodded, “I’m fine, just, not there.”  
“Ok,” Lance said softly, “Ok, not there.”

Lance pressed his fingers into Keith one by one, making sure the half-galra was thoroughly relaxed before pressing in the next. Keith only seemed capable of making soft noises of pleasure, mouth open with the slightest bit of drool trailing down. Three fingers in and Keith was gone, crying out in pleasure as Lance found his prostate with each thrust. Lube was dripping down the cleft of Keith’s ass, Lance was probably using too much but he didn’t care.

“You think you’re ready?” Lance said softly, pressing their noses together.  
Keith nodded, whining as Lance pulled his fingers out. Slipping on a condom and slicking up his dick, Lance pressed against Keith’s loosened hole.  
“Lance,” Keith called softly, “Please.”  
Lance pushed forwards, pausing halfway as Keith’s claws dug into his biceps. It was so damn tight and warm. Keith squeezed his arms gently.  
“Ok,” he said softly, “Keep going.”  
Lance nodded, starting a gentle roll of his hips, slowly burying himself deeper and deeper into Keith until they were pressed flush together.

It took a little time for Lance to build up a pace, but it was well worth it to hear Keith’s cries of pleasure. His head was thrown back, body forming an elegant arch. Lance shifted and reangled his hips, until Keith screamed. Bingo. Once he’d found it, Lance drilled into Keith’s prostate relentlessly. Tears were gathering in the corner of Keith’s eyes, but every time Lance tried to slow down, Keith snarled in a very threatening manner.

“Lance, Lance, please,” Keith cried out, shaking with pleasure.  
Lance grunted, grasping Keith’s cock and giving it a few strokes. That’s all it took until Keith was screaming in pleasure, probably the loudest Lance had heard him. White splattered between their bellies, Keith clenching as he shuddered with pleasure. Lance followed him over the precipice soon after.

After they’d cleaned up, Keith curled up, naked, at Lance’s side. His head was on Lance’s pectoral, arm thrown over his belly. There was a sound, a deep rumble that was oddly familiar but Lance couldn’t put his finger on it. It was only when it got louder and he felt Keith’s chest vibrating did Lance realise what it was. Keith was purring, a happy, truly contented sound. Lance grinned, squeezing him close.

****

Leaving Keith looking out over the valley, Lance headed back down to the ship to gather their picnic supplies. He smiled, careful not to slip on the loose ground. This was it, he’d been planning this day for ages now, it was going well so far. With his altean strength, it was easy carrying everything back up the hill.  
“I could’ve helped,” Keith protested softly, “What are we going to do?”  
“Nothing,” Lance smiled, “We have a picnic and our books, we’re going to sit out here and do nothing. No duties, no people to bother us, nothing.”  
Keith relaxed, “Sounds perfect.”  
Lance sat down beside him, leaning over to steal a kiss.  
“Love you.”  
“Love you too.”

****

It had come as a shock to the entire planet, Lance was pretty sure his heart had shattered. Alfor was dead, the king of altea, Allura and Lance’s father was dead. Hunk had wrapped the two of them up in a hug, Allura was sobbing but Lance just felt empty. He couldn’t stop shaking, even as Pidge joined the awkward group hug.

The four of them huddled together that night, Shiro joining them soon after. Keith was away on a mission, one with no way to contact him without risking his life. Lance was pressed between Hunk and Allura, Pidge on his knee and Shiro on the other side of Allura. Even surrounded by all these people, Lance had never felt more alone, or cold. Allura reached out and rested a hand on his arm, squeezing his bicep. Tears were streaking across her face, shining in her eyes. Lance hiccupped the dam finally breaking, tears finally spilling over to flood down his face. Allura pulled him into a tight hug, the siblings shaking and crying together.

Three days later, Lance sat in his bed, tears drying on his face. He’d very rarely moved from this spot over those days, looking out of the window into the garden. The door slid open, probably Hunk bringing him food, or Allura to sit with him for a while.  
“Lance?” a familiar voice called.  
Lance’s head snapped to the door.  
“Keith?” he croaked back.  
Keith made his way quickly across the room, crawling onto the bed and wrapping Lance in his arms.  
“I’m sorry,” Keith said, “I only heard the news yesterday.”  
“It’s ok,” Lance said thickly, sniffling with a fresh wave of tears.  
“I’m here now,” Keith said, “I’m here.”  
He reached up a hand, running claws through his hair. Lance snuggled closer to him, burying his face in the crook of Keith’s neck.

The two of them lay down together, Lance’s face pressed against Keith’s chest. Lance was sobbing, unable to breath with the force of his sobs. Keith rubbed up and down his back, trying his hardest to soothe Lance. Eventually his breathing evened out, great wracking breaths settling to hiccups. Keith pressed a kiss to his forehead, then under his ear.  
“Roll over,” he said softly, “I’ll let you be the lil spoon.”  
Lance smiled weakly, rolling over so Keith could snuggle up against his back.

Keith was running his fingers over Lance’s stomach under his shirt, drawing random patterns. It was relaxing, Lance could feel himself starting to drift off. That was when Keith started to speak, not too Lance though, he clearly thought the Altean was asleep.  
“I’m sorry for not being here sooner, I would’ve come home faster if I’d known. I’m here now though, I want to help you, I want to be there for you, like you were for me. I hope you let me and don’t try to suffer on your own, because I love you Lance. I love you so much. I hate that your hurting, I hate that there’s so little I can do,” Keith sighed, burying his face in the back of Lance’s neck, “I’ll be here for you, I’ll be right by your side when you need me and one day, I’ll say I love you when your conscious. It may take a while though, but I have a feeling you’ll wait.”  
Lance couldn’t help the slight smile as Keith squeezed him lightly, finally drifting off.

****

The day passed peacefully, quietly. At one point a herd of animals passed through the valley, grazing on the crystals and shining minerals. They looked like rocks, moving across the landscape leaving clear areas in their wake. The patterns they made from clearing some of the minerals were pretty though, revealing the black rock underneath. Keith was curled up under his arms, completely relaxed against Lance’s side. The picnic was eaten and the sun was starting to go down. They really needed to head back to Altea soon, Allura would be getting worried and Lance was probably needed.  
“We should head home,” Keith said.  
“Yeah, just one thing,” Lance said, moving slightly away from him.  
He turned around, holding Keith’s hands.  
“Lance?”  
“Keith, will you marry me?”

****

Neither Lance nor Allura were in a partying mood, they didn’t really have much of a choice though. After all, it wasn’t very often Altea crowned a new queen. There was a certain sombreness to the occasion, Alfor’s death still weighing down on everyone. Lance was sick of peoples condolences or asking how he was, all he really wanted to do was cuddle up with his friends and watch a movie. That wasn’t an option though, this ball was expected to last at least until tomorrow morning. The celebration of Allura’s coronation was expected to last for at least a month.

Allura shuffled over to him while he was talking to some dignitaries from the planet Yitr, they were lovely people but they just loved to talk. Lance apologised before slipping away with Allura, over to a quieter part of the ballroom.  
“You looked like you needed saving,” she said with a smile.  
Lance let out a breath of relief, “Yes, yes I really did. I mean, she’s so nice but if I have to listen to what her twentieth grandchild got for their Oblorabap, I don’t even know what that is!”  
Allura chuckled, “I know, I know, you could probably sneak off if you want, it’s getting late.”  
“And leave you to suffer alone?” Lance said, “Nah, it’s alright I can stick it out.”  
“Are you sure?” Allura said, “I’m letting you escape.”  
“I’m good,” Lance smiled, “Let’s go mingle.”

The sun was starting to rise when the party finally started to wind down, people retiring back to their ships or the rooms they were staying in in the palace.  
“Finally,” Allura sighed as the last people filtered out.  
Her head dropped, letting out a long sigh. Lance reached up to rest a hand on her shoulder.  
“You alright?” he asked.  
“Fine, it’s just…a bit much isn’t it,” she said, squeezing her eyes closed.  
“Yeah,” Lance sighed, “Everyone…they’re all so excited, it’s strange.”  
Allura nodded, sniffing slightly before tossing her head back and wiping her eyes. She groaned, shaking her head.  
“I think we need to rest,” she sighed, “We need to be refreshed for the parade tomorrow.”  
“You’re right,” Lance said, patting her shoulder.  
He knew Allura probably wanted to go back to her room to cry, Lance could feel something tight in his own chest.  
“See you tomorrow then,” Lance smiled, “Well, today.”  
“See you later,” Allura said, “Don’t forget, I will drag you out in your pyjamas.”

The door slid open with a hiss, Lance couldn’t help but smile. Keith was curled up on top of the covers, chest rising and falling steadily with sleep. Hurriedly stripping off his formal robes and pulling on his pyjamas, Lance crawled onto the bed. He tugged the covers slightly, trying to pull them out from under Keith’s body.

Keith stirred, ear twitching and eyes flickering open.  
“Hey,” Lance said, “You’ve stolen all the covers.”  
Keith hummed, “Sorry.”  
He wriggled so Lance could pull the covers out.  
“What time is it, I wanted to wait up for you,” Keith mumbled.  
“It’s morning,” Lance said, tucking them both under the covers, “It doesn’t matter, you didn’t need to.”  
“I wanted to,” Keith said, snuggling up to his chest, “I wanted to see if you were ok.”  
“I’m fine,” Lance replied, “Just tired.”  
Keith hummed, basically asleep at this point.  
“Night Keith,” Lance smiled.  
“Night,” Keith slurred.

****

“You, you want me to marry you?” Keith said, eyes wide with shock.  
Lance nodded, smiling weakly.  
“Only if you want to,” he said.  
“You, want me?” Keith said.  
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” Lance smiled, “I wouldn’t have started dating you if I didn’t.”  
Keith’s ears were flicking, tail swishing behind him. Lance was a bit worried he was going to say no, even more worried that it would be for some stupid reason such as their station. Suddenly he had an armful of boyfriend, causing him to fall backwards on his butt.  
“Um, Keith?”  
“Yes, yes I will marry you.”

**Author's Note:**

> This took FOREVER! Seriously, I was so stumped at times with what I should write...serious case of writers block.
> 
> Anyway, I'm putting this series on hiatus for a bit. Partly because I've run out of ides and partly because I have some other fics I plan to write. I will come back to this AU at some point because I love it and could probably write more at some point.
> 
> So, I hope you enjoyed, comments and kudos are always appreciated...feel free to ask me any questions you might have about this fic/the world
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
